Page Title

Link Wray
Translation of the obituary from the Danish
Paper Politiken.DK

politiken.DK

18. nov 2005 kl. 22:50
By Erik Jensen
The Indian Wildman of Rock
One of the true pioneers of rock, the American guitarist Link Wray, whose
music and style very much resembled the title of his greatest hit “Rumble”,
has died, 76 years old.

Link Wray earned the nickname “ The Godfather of
the Power Chord” because he is conceded the inventor
of the hard, distorted riffs, which is the basis of almost all
forms of guitar based rock.

Nevertheless, Link Wray is far from a name, which has
the
same degree of recognition as Chuck Berry,
Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard,
the one and only
Elvis Presley or other fathers of rock.

Cult Hero

Through his whole life the savage, American Wildman with native Indian blood in his veins,
remained somewhat of an underground figure, a cult hero who was deeply respected by
those who knew him and his groundbreaking playing style.

May 2, 1929 Fredrick Lincoln Wray was born in Dunn, in the southern state of North
Carolina. He grew up in a home, which was marked by a piety for God and modesty, as well
as his father’s traumas from World War I.
It was from his mother, who was a native Indian from the Shawnee tribe, which Link Wray, as
the kid was called, got his characteristic looks and toughness, and through his life he stuck
to his religion.

Thanks to his toughness he survived tuberculosis, and even through he lost one of his
lounges and could not sing for a long period of time, he did not abandon music. Link Wray
Played country with his two brothers in a local band, and had already as a teenager made
so-called bottleneck-guitar his specialty.

Own Style

Latter he developed his own playing style by letting a chord soar up and down the guitar
strings, which resulted in a true thunder roar. It is this style, which nearly all guitarists of
heavy rock have embraced.

In 1958 he wrote and recorded the instrumental “Rumble” which became a big hit and later
ended up among the classics of rock, even though in the beginning the song was banned by
many American radio stations because it supposedly lead to gang violence.
Legend has it that Link Wray in order to get the proper reverb and hard sound drilled a
screwdriver through the studio speakers. His image as a tough guy in a leather Jacket made
him a sort of James Dean of rock, a model for many /American teenagers on the edge of the
law.

And a stylistic icon for people such as Johnny Cash, Who began donning black clothes like
Link Wray and became “ The Man In Black”, even through many fans still claim that Wray
was “ The Real Man in Black”.

The King

Man in Black or not, Link Wray became a stylistic role model for many of the British rock
musicians which had their breakthroughs in the beginning of the 60’s. Especially for Pet
Townsend from The Who who later said” He is the king. If it hadn’t been for Link Wray and
“Rumble” I would never have picked up a guitar”.

Link Wray continued to work with his group Link Wray and His Ray Men, which Neil Young
has said the following about: “If I could go back in time and see just one band, It would be
Link Wray and His Ray Men”. Nonetheless, the maestro also had to earn a living as a
session guitarist, playing for such people as Rick Nelson, Fats Domino and Buddy Holly.

However, in the mid-60’s he had enough of big record labels and the music business, which
Link Wray never regained confidence in. He started his own company and recorded in a
hen house back home in Maryland.

Despite of the many words of praise from the greatest names in rock, Link Wray never
gained a foothold, and it was only in 1977, when he began playing with the singer Robert
Gordon that he returned to the stage.

Lived in Copenhagen

It was, however, only for a sort time. Because Link Wray kept his skepticism of the music
business and for a long period of time he quit touring. From 1977 to 1984 he lived in
Copenhagen on and off, inspired by his good friend, the American guitarist Billy Cross, with
whom Link Wray had often performed. In Denmark he also was on stage with Bruce
Springsteen in 1988 at “Parken” in Copenhagen, recorded with Sort Sol on the album “Flow
My Firetear” and had released the album “Indian Child”.

In Denmark he married Olive Julie Povlsen, and had a son Oliver Christian. The family has
since lived in Denmark without any wishes of public attention. However, the career got a
boost back in the US when 3 of Link Wray’s songs ended up on the soundtrack to the
popular movie “Pulp Fiction”.

Buried Silence

Only one year ago Link Wray toured the US with his leather jacket and greased up hair
where as enthusiastic reviewer noted:
“Link Wray burned through tonight with all that defiance, laughter, love and power he has in
him. A legend, just as sure as Crazy Horse, a natural force like a tornado, a prophet which
gently howls through the dust, up towards the sun about the celebrations and triumphs yet
to come. I saw Link Wray, I saw America.”

Link Wray does not howl towards the sun any longer, but hopefully he has made himself a
home among the other gods of rock in haven. Link Wray has according to his own wishes
been buried in silence at Christistians Kirke at Christianshavn in Copenhagen.